Glass plate cracking apparatus is known which utilizes a continuous breaking roller which is disposed parallel to a carrier roller where the breaking roller applies a bending moment to the plate with the result that the plate cracks or breaks along a score line at the point where the score line passes the breaking roller. Such apparatus is used when a glass plate is to be divided or subdivided into relatively broad strips or panes and where the score lines extend continuously across the width of the plate transversely with regard to the direction of its travel through the apparatus.
If however smaller panes of varying sizes are to be cut from a single large glass plate, and if the glass plate is to be optimally divided so as to have a minimum of wastage, then additional score lines are cut into the plate parallel and adjacent to the continuous score lines and which extend only along a part of a continuous score line. Apparatus as described above is inapplicable for use in automatically forming small panes since breaks in the plate will not be limited to the continuous score lines but will run in an uncontrollable manner in the additional score lines extending parallel to the continuous score lines.
In order to cut large glass plates into smaller panes with a minimum of wastage, the practice has been to manually position the plate into an exact breaking position on a breaking table where the cracking along the additional score lines is accomplished by having a cracking strip positioned below the breaking table contact the plate with a stroke-like movement. This method of breaking involves considerable expenditure of work and time because of the discontinuous method of operation and because of the necessary manual manipulation of the plate on the table.
It is therefore an object of my invention to provide for an automatic cracking apparatus by which large glass plates may be automatically broken along continuous score lines which extend transversely across the plate with regard to the direction of travel of the plate through the apparatus and which may also break the plate along additional score lines which are shorter than the continuous score lines and which are parallel to the continuous score lines.